The first residency for the new master of divinity program in the College of Theology was a resounding success as 21 online students from all over the country met in Phoenix to share life stories and build new relationships. Some of the participants were amazed by how the group bonded in such a short time.

By Cooper Nelson GCU News Bureau After spending last summer in the Tell Science Building, the summer Chapel series will return to Ethington Theatre next week for a more intimate weekly worship experience than those held in GCU Arena during the school year. Summer Chapel begins Monday with a message from Nathan Hale, GCU’s life leader manager, at 11:15 a.m. in Ethington and will continue each Monday through July 27. This summer’s Chapel speakers are University employees primarily from the Office of Spiritual Life and the College of Theology. Jared Ulrich, GCU worship manager, will lead acoustic worship services before each message. Danielle Rinnier, director of spiritual life, said the Chapel messages will not follow a specific theme, allowing speakers to share what God has put on their hearts. She hopes speakers will focus their messages on ways for employees to remain diligent through the slower summer months and encourage them to stay enthusiastic during a time of great change at the University with multiple construction projects. “The majority of people who attend summer Chapel are employees, so we wanted to have speakers who understand what they’re going through over the summer and can encourage and uplift them,” Rinnier said. Employees hopefully will use Chapel to reconnect with […]

The longest-tenured employee at Grand Canyon University, Dr. Michael Baird of the College of Theology, is retiring after 36 years, and he will leave behind a long list of grateful students and fellow faculty members. Baird was so good at his job for a simple reason — he loves to teach.

The accolades keep pouring in for “Canyon Worship,” the EP released earlier this month by Grand Canyon University’s Center for Worship Arts. Some of the most heartfelt responses came from GCU Christian worldview students after they heard the songs for the first time.

Three days of commencement ceremonies at GCU ended Saturday afternoon, and there were enough cheers to fill a stadium and enough tears to use up a box of Kleenex. Amid all the emotions were more stories of grit and determination — and not just among the graduates.

By GCU News Bureau Thursday morning’s commencement, the first of six to be held this week for the Grand Canyon University’s Class of 2015 in the Arena, had all the usual pomp — grinning parents using cellphones and Canons, elaborately decorated mortarboards balanced on graduates’ heads and purple in every corner of the Arena, on flowers, stoles and drapes. (Click here to see a slideshow.) But the 80-minute ceremony attended by 528 undergraduates in five colleges — Theology, Fine Arts and Production, Education, Humanities and Social Sciences and Science, Engineering and Technology — also was punctuated by poignant circumstances. For one, several graduates in the first CSET class adorned their mortarboards in ways unique to their career paths, such as outlines of bodies and crime scene tape. And there was not one but two student speakers, identical twin sisters Joy and Claire Flatz, who earned degrees in theatre from the College of Fine Arts and Production. The duo, who are as close to America’s sweethearts as you can get, did a lovely tag-team bit about how the University’s campus has changed in four years. (Then: no lines, no Chick-fil-A and the worst parking spot was behind Hegel Hall next to […]

GCU Today Magazine Photos by Darryl Webb There was no shortage of news at Grand Canyon University during the 2014-15 academic year. And it was no easy decision picking the Top 10 stories from the dozens that were produced by GCU Today. But those that emphasized community, growth and reputation quickly rose to the top. Here they are: 1. GCU revs economic engine in west Phoenix The University announced a five-point plan to revitalize the neighborhood, continued expanding its campus along the Canyon Corridor, agreed to operate and began renovating Maryvale Golf Course, and opened a hotel to train students in hospitality management and employ local residents. A study credited GCU with an annual economic impact of $1.1 billion that generates 10,490 jobs, with wages approaching $500 million per year. 2. What’s in a name? A lot, when it’s Colangelo GCU’s business school was renamed for Phoenix icon Jerry Colangelo, whose principles of servant leadership, ethics and entrepreneurship became as ingrained into campus life as he did in just a few short months. As part of the hospitality curriculum, the college also announced plans for golf course and tennis management programs. 3. It’s full STEM ahead as 8th college opens Determined to fill high-tech […]

By Janie Magruder GCU Today Magazine As a student at Canby High in northwestern Oregon, Bryce Beatty filled his days with chemistry, honors biology, advanced placement physics and playing shortstop for the baseball team. But when he came to Grand Canyon University in 2012, Beatty traded his mitt and jersey for latex gloves and an apron. For the then freshman, focusing on his major — biology with an emphasis in pre-med — required protection for his hands and clothing in GCU’s cadaver lab. Despite his considerable high school science background, Beatty knew he would need some help in chemistry as he pursued a career in spine surgery. As soon as he arrived on campus, he requested tutoring help from the Center for Learning & Advancement (CLA). Now a junior in the College of Science, Engineering and Technology, Beatty is one of GCU’s top science tutors. He helped inspire University leaders to restructure the tutoring system and is assisting with its success. There’s extra credit, of course: “If you can teach it, you know it,” he said. Narrowing the focus Tutoring has evolved over the past 18 months during a perfect storm of change at GCU. The administration wanted to boost […]

The College of Theology’s Center for Worship Arts program is releasing its first EP on Tuesday, and the story behind one of the songs, “Follow You,” is one of great collaboration and divine intervention. The fact that Desiree Aguilar and Jessi Sams both wound up at GCU is amazing; the way they landed in the Worship Arts program and became friends is almost beyond comprehension.